Off-White

Off-White is an Italian luxury fashion house founded by the American designer Virgil Abloh, based in Milan. It began life as Pyrex Vision in 2012 before Abloh closed that label and relaunched it under the Off-White name in 2013 [4]. The name, he explained, referred to the grey area between black and white. Best known for clothing, sneakers and accessories, the brand entered beauty in 2022 with a line called Paperwork, which spans fragrance, makeup and nails and is the part of its catalogue relevant to beauty retail.

The company remains active. As of 2026 its website carries current collections, including the SS26 "Pop Romance" show, and the house continues to operate under Art and Image Director Ib Kamara. Ownership, however, has changed hands several times since Abloh's death in late 2021.

Off-White traces to Virgil Abloh's first fashion venture, Pyrex Vision, which he started in Milan in 2012. In 2013 he shuttered Pyrex Vision and founded Off-White in its place [4]. According to the company, the label was conceived as a platform for free thinking, and Abloh framed the name as describing "the grey area between black and white as the color off-white." The brand is stylised as "OFF-WHITE c/o VIRGIL ABLOH" and is headquartered in Milan.

The founding date is sometimes given as 2012, but that year refers to the predecessor Pyrex Vision; Off-White as a named brand dates to 2013 [4].

Abloh, who died in November 2021, is described by the company as a visionary who "empowered and inspired a generation of talent." His successor on the creative side, Ib Kamara — a former editor-in-chief of Dazed, born in Sierra Leone and raised in Gambia — was appointed Art and Image Director on 30 April 2022 [4].

Much of Off-White's early profile came from high-visibility collaborations. The label worked with Nike on "The Ten" sneaker project in 2017, released a furniture collection with IKEA in 2018, and later partnered with A.C. Milan in 2022. These tie-ups helped cement its position at the meeting point of streetwear and luxury.

In 2022 the house extended beyond apparel for the first time with Paperwork, its debut beauty collection. The first products, a set of fragrances, were released on 20 April 2022 [5].

Off-White's ownership has moved through several hands. The brand's operating and licensing structure was held within New Guards Group, a company owned by the online retailer Farfetch. In July 2021 the luxury conglomerate LVMH acquired a 60 percent stake in the brand [4]. In September 2024 LVMH sold its holding to the brand-management firm Bluestar Alliance [7]. Following that sale, Wikipedia records current ownership as Bluestar Alliance (60 percent) and Farfetch (40 percent) [4]. The brand site lists its licensee as Progetto 17 S.r.l.

Off-White presents itself as a vehicle for self-expression rather than a conventional label, with stated values that include platforming underrepresented voices and "deconstructing elitist fashion structures." The company's brand vision frames its outlook as "free thinking [that] inspires a pioneering format for the future."

That positioning carries into the beauty line. According to the company, Paperwork is "designed to encourage human potential" and offers "a toolkit for self-expression, tapping into smell, sight and touch." The brand describes the collection as the first to manifest Abloh's idea of "a blank canvas to inspire endless creativity," and presents it as ageless and genderless [5].

Paperwork is organised into three product families: SOLUTION fragrances, IMPRINT face and body solid pigments, and COLOR MATTER nail polishes, alongside face stencils. NYLON described the launch as a "toolkit" of four signature fragrances, six nail polishes, six pigment sticks and face stencils [5]. For the makeup and nail products, the brand says it replaces conventional "instructions for use" with "the freedom to express individuality and personality."

The fragrances form the most documented part of the line. Sold as numbered "Solutions," each scent was built around a different idea: Solution No. 1 is woody and earthy with ho wood and a sand accord; Solution No. 3 centres on damascena rose with pink peppercorn; Solution No. 4 contrasts eucalyptus and lavender against leather notes. Abloh developed the fragrances with perfumers Alexis Dadier, Jérôme Epinette and Sidonie Lancasseur before his death in the autumn of 2021 [5].

Paperwork drew coverage across fashion and beauty media on release. NYLON and Dazed both reported the launch, while Highsnobiety reviewed the four fragrances and called them "one of the last Abloh-designed masterpieces" [6]. The line is closely tied to Abloh's final work, having been developed in the period immediately before his death.

Off-White is an active global luxury house, with 59 stores reported as of 2024 and current 2026 collections live on its website [4]. Creative direction continues under Ib Kamara. Within beauty, Paperwork remains the brand's relevant offering. The most recent change to the company was the September 2024 transfer of LVMH's stake to Bluestar Alliance [7].